Measuring apparatus



Nov. 22, 1938.

H. M. JONES MEASURING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 10, 1938 Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 10,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in measuring apparatus and more especially such apparatus adapted for easily and quickly measuring a predetermined fractional amount of any quantity of liquid in the apparatus.

In determining the rate of nitrogen consumption in the study of metabolism, for example, it is frequently desirable to retain the entire urine output from a patient for a given period, say, seventy-two hours, and then separate a predetermined fractional part, say therefrom. This can be accurately and quickly done by the practice of the invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully in the specification.

In that form of device embodying the features of the invention; shown in the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the lower end of the pipette; and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same.

As shown in the drawing, the apparatus incl-udes a straight walled container ill with a flat bottom Illa provided with a sump IOb in the form of an inverted cone. The container is here shown as substantially cylindrical. II indicates a pipette or tube with a solid portion or plug I la at the lower end, of a size and shape substantially to fill the sump lllb. The plug Ila is provided with a small central bore l lb and its outer surface has four small channels llc to permit flow of liquid therethrough from the container ID to the bore l lb and thence into the pipette when the plug is in place in the sump.

The upper end of the pipette H is provided with a small pipe I Id adapted to be closed by the finger before the pipette is withdrawn from the container so that a column of liquid will be retained in the pipette by air pressure and surface tension over the lower end of the liquid in the small bore llb.

Any desired proportions may be employed. For example, the container l0 may be from fourteen to sixteen inches high and have a diameter, the square of which is seventy-two times the square of the internal diameter of the pipette H. For example, the internal diameter of the pipette l I may be 1" and the internal diameter of the contained in the pipette by air pressure and surface place the plug I la substantially fills the sump lllb, its upper surface being level with the bottom la 1938, Serial No. 184,342

(Cl. Iii-21) of the container. The column of liquid standing in the pipette will, therefore, be substantially of the volume of the entire contents of the container. This column is trapped in the pipette by closing the upper end with the finger, the pipette 5 removed and the column discharged in a separate container.

There will be some error due to the quantity of liquid in the channels H0 and the bore H11, and also some error due to the thickness of the wall of the pipette and escape of liquid therefrom because of the weight of the column. Correction for these errors may be made in any suitable manner. It has been found by test that substantial accuracy is obtained by enlarging the diameter of the container l0 slightly from bottom to top. For example, it may be substantially larger at the top and taper inwardly to the bottom.

While there are shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is intended to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Measuring apparatus, including: a substantially straight walled container with a fiat bottom having a sump therein; a pipette having a plug at the bottom adapted substantially to fill said sump; and means whereby liquid will flow from the container into the pipette when the plug is in place in the sump; whereby a predetermined fractional amount of any quantity of liquid in the container may be withdrawn in the pipette.

2. Measuring apparatus, including: a substantially straight walled container with a flat bottom having a sump therein; and a pipette having a plug at the bottom adapted substantially to fill said sump, said plug having a small bore therethrough and a channel on the outer surface thereof communicating with the bore to permit flow of liquid from the container into the pipette when the plug is in place in the sump; whereby a predetermined fractional amount of any quantity of liquid in the container may be withdrawn in the pipette.

HORRY M. JONES. 

